A Disconnect

I was struck by a misalignment of the Republican coalition as I read a speech on science education. The speech decried the dramatic decline in America’s share of science, technology and engineering expertise, measured by, among other things, the decline in the number of engineers and science Ph.D.s trained in the U.S.

The speech raised many concerns by America’s business and industrial leaders, who are certainly an integral part of the Republican coalition. While I had some problems with the suggested solutions in the speech, captains of industry will clearly benefit from an increase in the number of America’s scientists and engineers. Their call for more scientists, and better science and math education, is a sincere one.

But how is this issue addressed by other members of the coalition? The Wolverine Café piece, readable with the pdf link below, takes a look at three elements of the Republican coalition which are part of the problem, and not part of the solution. The three elements are:

1. The religious right and their war on science.

2. Those motivated politically and economically to suppress scientific research (particularly in the environmental arena.

3. The tax slashers and their antipathy towards public education.